Alternative Heat for your home

This is a discussion on Alternative Heat for your home within the Home (And Away From Home) Defense Discussion forums, part of the Related Topics category; I have been listening to the news and reading stories about families in New York and New Jersey that have no way to heat their ...

Alternative Heat for your home

I have been listening to the news and reading stories about families in New York and New Jersey that have no way to heat their homes without power. I was wondering how many of you have a way to heat your home when the power is out, and what type of fuel do you use.

If you have more than one type please add it in the comments, also state how you and if you can cook with no electricity.

We have gas heat that doesn't require electricity (as long as the gas works) and an old smokey fireplace. For cooking we can use the fireplace or our camping stoves.

I live in Wisconsin in the country . If power fails in the winter we are the last to get repaired. Only the cities count.
So I have always had a wood burner and a pile of wood for a back up. It may not keep the whole house 70 when it 10 below but it will keep it liveable.
Two generators also. Have o use portable one if you install an house system property taxes go throw the roof.

I've always liked wood stoves. Man they can heat you up quick, as long as you don't let it go out. In my house we have electric heat downstairs, oil heat upstairs, and an electric stove for cooking. When the power goes out we have nada.

Currently we have a fireplace, freestanding kerosene heater, a propane buddy heater, and the normal camping gear; lanterns, stoves, sleeping bags, plus a set of cast iron cookware, and a couple Lodge Dutch ovens.

Last month, we broke ground on our new house on 80 acres we bought. This is using ICF construction with geo-thermal heat/cooling. We’re having installed a woodstove and a 17KW standby generator that runs on propane.

where we are is rural as well....we have 4 fireplaces, oil heat, gas (LP) logs in two fireplaces & electric heaters. We also have a back up generator to run when power is out. I got a diesel genset recently so I can use the heating oil to run if power is out for extended periods.

I'm the one guy who voted shivering under blankets because let's face it... In Houston during hurricane season the problem is AC not heat. I have not run my heat yet this year and I have Window ac units and a gen should the power fail... I'm also looking into wiring the gen to run the whole home including the central air. It just doesn't get cold enough in Houston for heat to really be a problem for me.

We have had no power and no heat for a week. Thank goodness the water heater (gas) still works. Was able to buy a small generator (God is good) a few days ago to power some electric heaters for two bedrooms at night, and to keep the refrigerator cool. The lines to buy gasoline to fill gas cans are much shorter than the lines to fill your car.

We will be installing a wood burning stove ASAP. Plenty of cut up downed trees to burn for the hauling...

I have a main Boiler Hot Water Radiator system but this house also has 5 gas log fireplaces (good in an emergency but, not very efficient) I also have a few little ceramic heaters and there is a cast iron wood stove in the basement. I have used it once or twice and they DO throw off a huge amount of heat.
I also have one of those catalytic gas heaters that mounts on the wall. It produces a great deal of heat but it also causes a lot of condensation to build up on my windows (since natural gas contains some moisture)...so I never use it.

This is a big house so we two sets of baseboard radiators that go almost all the way around two rooms & then I think 13 other old large cast iron radiators.

In this house it would probably be cheaper to just burn Dollar Bills rather than Natural Gas for heat.

For cooking I have a portable two burner propane cylinder gas stove should we ever need it.